INSIDE OUT (2005)
Alan Fark (Minor7th.com)
October 2005
Quote: "...if fate reward excellence..."
Hans York is a little-known singer-songwriter both in
his native Europe and his adopted American homeland, but if fate rewards
excellence, this will change. York is a songwriting genius
who has discovered surprising chordal resolutions and rhythmic grooves
on "Inside Out" which hook you from hello. In the past, York
has made a name for himself as a DADGAD acoustic player, but the Celtic
melancholy of that tuning does not come through at all on "Inside
Out." Instead, these are upbeat jazz-pop masterpieces more akin to
those of Sting, Al Stewart or Stephen
Bishop. In fact, his vocals, though ever-so-slightly accented
from his German heritage, sound as if they were cloned from Bish on "Listen
to the Moon."
The title track and "Lives Apart" feature great
acoustic guitar riffs that cascade from open strings characteristic of
fingerstyle, yet are dovetailed perfectly into a pop framework instead.
I found myself checking the credits to see who that great bass player
was... York. On piano?... York. Obviously
talented as a multi-instrumentalist and writer, York's production skills
too hover impressively in the same higher ground. "Inside
Out" is one indie release that the labels should heed.